DARTMOUTH COLLEGE MATHEMATICS SURVEY
This course is part of a project funded by the National Science Foundation to measure the impact of different
instructional approaches. Please answer honestly and thoughtfully and remember, there are no right or wrong answers.
Your responses are very important to the research and will be treated with great respect and confidentiality.
Please circle the number that best describes your position on the scale where 1= "strongly DISAGREE" and
5 = "strongly AGREE." THANK YOU.
Please fill in the 6 digits of your Student Identification Number
Age:__________
Gender: _____M

_____F
Strongly
Strongly
Disagree................Agree
1. In mathematics I can be creative and discover things for myself.
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5
2. I can learn math on my own just using a textbook.
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3. Doing math helps me think clearly and logically..
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4. I rarely encounter situations that are mathematical in nature outside school.
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5
5. I like exploring problems using real data and computers.
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5
6. Mathematics is essentially an accumulation of facts, rules, and formulas to be memorized and
used.
7. Doing math in another subject makes the other subject easier to learn.
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5
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8. I find pleasure in doing mathematics.
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9. I'm never sure my answer is right until I'm given the solution.
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10. I don’t need a good understanding of math to achieve my career goals.
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5
11. Guessing (conjecturing) is an important part of doing mathematics.
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12. I always read the text before coming to class.
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5
13. Intuition plays no role in mathematics.
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14. Doing math in another subject makes the math easier to learn.
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15. I don't really understand math until I work it out for myself..
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16. I would rather work on a math problem that has scientific importance than on a textbook exercise.
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17. Writing about mathematics makes it easier to learn.
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5
18. Many situations in the world around me can be modeled mathematically.
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19. Math problems can be done correctly in only one way.
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20. Mathematics has been an important tool to help me learn other subjects.
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21. The primary job of the instructor is to structure work so we can learn it ourselves..
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22. I can read a research paper in mathematical biology and get something out of it.
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5
23. The graphs in a textbook are the most useful part of the explanation.
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24. After I've forgotten all the formulas, I'll still be able to use ideas I've learned in math..
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25. I would rather work on a math problem that has social importance than on a textbook exercise.
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26. When I get stuck on a math problem, I can usually find my way out.
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27. I mostly use a text for reference when I don’t understand what went on in class.
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5
28. For me, mathematics rarely involves exploration, investigation, or experimentation.
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5
29. Becoming more proficient in math prepares you for the next math class, but that's about all.
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30. Doing mathematics raises interesting new questions about the world.
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31. There’s always a rule to follow in solving mathematics problems.
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32. Doing math helps me become a better critical thinker.
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33. I often see familiar mathematical concepts in courses outside of math.
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34. I like a lot of background information for math problems in a textbook.
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35. Math helps me understand the world around me.
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36. There’s no such thing as a judgment call in mathematics.
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37. Expressing scientific concepts in mathematical equations just makes them more confusing.
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5
THANK YOU!